Horus Heresy – Legiones Astartes Mk II Assault Squad

Along with the Fellblade Super-Heavy Battle Tank, a new infantry plastic box set is introduced for the Legiones Astartes in Horus Heresy: the Astartes Assault Squad in Mark II armour.

This new boxed set of ten Legionaries as an Mk II Assault Squad is available to pre-order for 44,50 GBP / 60 EUR from today, 20 September, with an official release date of 4 October.

As we haven't yet covered the standard Mk II tactical power armour, I would like to provide you with a brief description of this piece of equipment's lore. Mk II armour, also known as Crusade armour, was the first fully enclosed, mass-produced power armour widely used during the Great Crusade. It featured environmental systems and life support, enabling Space Marines to fight in the vacuum of space and on hazardous worlds. The armour patterns were then further developed, enhanced and streamlined to suit the needs of battles beyond the Great Crusade, through the Horus Heresy and beyond. The Mk III power armour pattern was a modification of the Mk II, featuring heavy armour plating at the front (including larger chest, groin and shoulder pads), intended for use in boarding actions, tunnel assaults and void warfare, for example. It was never intended to replace the previous Mk II, but rather to provide an optional variant for certain operations. This boxed set is therefore the perfect addition to your force if you use Mk II or III and want to field assault squads in matching power armour patterns.

The Mk I power armour pattern was used by the Thunder Warriors, not the Space Marines. It was only partially enclosed and designed for use on Terra during the Unification Wars. It was not suited to any kind of void operations or other hazardous environments that the Space Marines would encounter.

This is the second boxed set of Assault Squads for the Legiones Astartes, following the Mark VI Corvus Pattern Power Armour set. But why the Mk II Assault Squad with Crusade armour now, rather than adding the Mk III Assault Squad from the kits released in 2023? The Mk III armour was an uparmoured variant of the Mk II for certain environments, but it wasn't used with Jump Packs as it was too heavy for that kind of combat.

The Mk II Assault Squad contains four sprues, ten 32 mm round bases, a decal sheet, and grey-scale instructions for building a squad of ten Assault Marines. The rules for Assault Squads can be found in the Liber Astartes/Liber Hereticus, and these miniatures can be used for either regular or veteran Assault Squads..

As you can see, the decal sheet includes a wide variety of iconography. This updated variant, compared to the older one from 2021, covers four different legions (Sons of Horus, Iron Warriors, Salamanders and Imperial Fists), as well as generic iconography.

The grey-scale instructions provide a clear overview of how to assemble the miniatures with their various options. While this sprue includes various options (and different ones compared to the Mk VI set), it does not cover all those available to Assault Squads.

The sprues cover the option of arming all Assault Marines with chain axes, bolt pistols or combat shields. They also cover the option for Veterans to upgrade two out of five with a heavy chain axe. There is also a selection of options for the sergeant, limited to a volkite, a disintegrator pistol, a power maul and melta bombs. However, no chainswords (regular or heavy) are included, nor any additional pistol swaps or other power weapons/charnabal sabres.

But the sprues are filled to the brim with lots of pieces, and the details have been captured in clear castings with minor mould lines. Each of these two sprues is included twice, and the two sets are identical.

We are going to build a squad of five using the various options available to demonstrate what the kit has to offer.

There are five different poses of the Assault Marines, split roughly as shown below. There are two pieces for the upper body, two or three pieces for the legs, and a harness for the jump pack. The later is a bit tricky to assemble as it sits rather freely on the shoulders and has a small attachment area to the upper body, which provides a stable connection once the jump pack is added.

This is the assembled pose on a 32 mm round base. As you can see, this is the full set of five different poses that the sprues offer. You get two of these from the boxed set. All the alterations come from the arms and heads.

There is optional gear for the belts. There is a variety of pouches and grenades that can be attached. I gave the sergeant the melta bombs and the others got mixed gear.

Now, let's move on to the weapons. The Sergeant will receive a combination of a power weapon and a pistol. One Astartes will receive a heavy chain axe, and the others will receive regular chain axes, along with a mix of combat shields and pistols. This shows the variety of combinations that can be built.

The chain axes are quite large. They are larger than the ones carried by the Khorne Berzerkers or the Forge World World Eaters. I'm not sure if they are a tad too big. Nevertheless, they look brutal.

Next, we will add the heads and shoulder pads. There are nine different head options in total, including bare and full helmet variants. There are also regular shoulder pads and two with a special brim for the sergeant.

The heads/faces bring a lot of character, and of course you can mix and match with the various other sets, including the Legion-specific heads and the character heads.

The only thing missing now are the jump packs, which are massive! Just look at how they compare to the classic metal jump pack design.

This is the complete set of five Assault Marines, who could be used as veterans as well.

To give you a sense of how they fit with the other armour patterns, the first picture shows Mk VI and Mk III Sgt, the second shows Veteran (Firstborn) Assault Marines, and the third shows Mk II with and without jump packs, as well as the very first metal marine depicted in Mk II armour.

There were Mk II Assault Marines by Forge World with a much leaner armour pattern, as you can see. There is also a comparison of the newer Mk VI and Mk II plastic kits.

The final build of these models is incredibly bulky and aggressive. This is very fitting for an assault squad, especially if you want to use them as veterans.

Conclusion

The new Mk II Assault Squad offers a well-designed and detailed addition to the forces of the Legiones Astartes, both traitors and loyalists, providing hobbyists with the opportunity to field assault marines in the iconic Crusade Armour. Assembly is straightforward, with clear instructions and versatile parts, though some weapon options and customization choices (such as chainswords or all special pistols) are missing. While not all options are included, the selection is still wide and can be extended with other available sets like the Melee Weapon Upgrade set.

The inclusion of an updated decal sheet covers multiple legions and adds further value, while the overall bulky and aggressive look of the finished models fits the close-combat role perfectly. Especially with the massive and distinctive design of the jump packs. With a competitive set price and a strong thematic appeal for both veteran and new collectors, this boxed set is a versatile and attractive choice for expanding or starting a Horus Heresy force, despite minor limitations in the weapon selection.

• Production Quality: 5/5
• Design appeal: 4/5
• Options / Customization: 4/5
• Value for money: 3/5
• Ease of Assembly: 4/5

Warhammer 40,000 and The Horus Heresy are brands by Games Workshop.

The reviewed product item was provided by the manufacturer.